I think it's waiting in line for. There are significant savings. A bag of groceries from Trader Joe's is half the price of a bag of groceries from Whole Foods.

The secret to successfully shopping at Trader Joe's is to know how to manuever through the store and when to go (which is never on the weekends or after work hours). The line to check out always seems overwhelming, but it's really not that bad. They do a pretty good job of shuffling shoppers out the door with groceries.

Dare I say it, but I think Trader Joe's is slightly overrated. Not only are the lines usually always too long for a quickie, but the company's prepared foods are often less desirable than expected. That is not to say that a bargain or two cannot be found, such as cheap shampoo, soap, and decent organic fruits and veggies, but you must be committed to waiting in long lines to obtain them. There are other alternatives to getting good fruit and veggies in Manhattan, esp. downtown. Shoppers with a taste for decadence should try maxdelivery.com, where the produce is organic, super fresh, and delivered to your door for around the same price.

The secret is: SUGAR! It seems like they pack it into everything there. Even the sushi. The last time I went there I thought "I'm almost ready for lunch -- let me just get a little tray of sushi and I'll eat it while I unpack my groceries." There was so much sugar in the sushi rice I almost had to spit it out. There's plenty of good sushi around, cheap too. Why did I feel the need to buy it pre-packaged at the sugar store?

Is it worth it? Oh yes, I think so. Everyone has a different list of musts; the nuts and dried fruits are fresh and inexpensive, they have Valrhona chocolate, almond butter, frozen berries for much less than anywhere else, including organic, and the red pepper-tomato soup in a box is heavenly.

It's also a lesson in living in the moment:When you fall in love with an item, though, you must accept that it may disappear forever. Other wonderful things will come--you must have faith that they will.

Oh yes, either go early on a weekday, or prepare to be jostled. And never get a hand basket--grab a cart and bring a paperback, and the five or so minutes you're likely to spend in the line won't be painful at all.

I don't even know why I'm encouraging you to go to my favorite non-Mom and Pop store. No! It's definitely not worth it! The line, the line! Look at that line!

Thanks for the comments. I do know several people who swear by this place. I don't quite get the devotion. Good prices, yes. But one guy I know raved about the "healthy" prepackaged sandwiches. They don't look very healthy to me. And with so many other better choices around here.

The fresh produce not so much--but the cheeses and breads and chocolate and muffins I recommend. I like Russo's for my mozzarella--and other bakeries but some of their stuff is fine and less costly. Stop by their sample counter-try the coffee of the day-decaf and regular--try it with stevia (natural sugar from a plant)and your choice of half and half-regular milk or soya milk. Bon Appetit!

Trader Joe's is like a garage sale. I have entered the Union Square store half a dozen times over the years, yet have never actually purchased anything there. Half the shelves are empty, everything is a goddamn mess, and the lines are insane. I don't doubt that some of the products and prices are great, but I am too easily irritated to find out.

The whole place strikes me as somewhere to shop if you are totally and completely stoned, but under no other circumstances.

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